ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · wake · mug · dip · jam · stock · rest · branch

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rest — a break
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. scale — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mug — a cup
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stock — goods
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. mug — a face
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wake — a trail
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com